Full Circle
by captain starbuck
Summary: A/U and canon. This is a companion piece to my other story Resolutions 5K. The story opens between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of that story. You might want to read that first to understand this one better. The second part takes place a year after the first part. SPECIAL NOTE: Final two chapters posted (4&5). Make sure you you don't miss one.
1. Fall Funk & Halloween Hero

**Title:** Full Circle

**Author:** captstarbuck

**Rating:** T

**Pairing**: Callie/Arizona

**Disclaimers: ** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy.

**Summary:** A/U and canon. This is a companion piece to my other story Resolutions 5K. The story opens between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 that story. You might want to read that first to understand this one better. The second part takes place a year after the first part.

**Beta:** Many, many thanks to Stacy d'Lacy who gave me a task to write ("WRITE ANYTHING") to get me out of my Grey's canon blues.

**A/N:** I started this a few weeks ago, prior to all the reveals in S10E09. There is some canon but since it takes place in the future, I've taking some creative license. There's a bit of angst and quite a bit of "fluff". This story will have five chapters (the last is currently in my beta's hands).

**PART I**

**October 16th, 2016 – Fall Funk**

It had lasted one week for Arizona. One week of a post-race feel good high. That was all she got before she slipped into what had now become her annual 'fall funk'. The first time it had happened was two years ago when she and Callie were still new to their reconciliation. She'd slipped into a depressed state and hadn't known why. It had taken a few sessions with her therapist before she realized that fall brought to the surface all kinds of bad memories; the post cheating separation, the dalliance with Leah, the big blowout with Callie. Yeah, fall was the time she found herself taking a stroll down bad memory lane. No, it wasn't a stroll. It was more like she was tripping and stumbling her way down it.

She and Callie were good now, had been for over two years. They were more than good. Their marriage was stronger than it had ever been. Knowing they were better than okay now, just confused and annoyed Arizona when all the bad feelings returned again. She thought she was past all of it. Last year it hadn't been quite so bad and she'd hoped that this year she'd finally be free of her demons. She thought for sure with the accomplishment of completing the race she had finally laid it all to rest.

Sighing, the blonde handed the chart back to the nurse.

"Did you need anything else, Dr. Robbins?"

"No, Erin. I'm all set. Thanks." She shifted her weight onto to her right leg. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me," she said, heading away from the nurses' station.

As she made her way down the hall, she spotted Leah, a group of interns behind her. The fourth-year resident looked over at Arizona and smiled. Arizona gave her a half-smile in return. The resident had been crushed when Arizona and Callie had gotten back together. Arizona had tried to let the younger woman down easily, but it had become a tangled mess. Leah had developed feelings for Arizona and Arizona wasn't feeling anything at the time. It had taken a good year for her and Leah to even look at one another and a little longer to even speak outside professional necessity.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Robbins," Leah said.

"Murphy," she replied with a nod. "Interns on a short leash today?"

"A very short leash," the resident replied with a laugh.

The interns behind Leah had enough good sense not to be offended. Four months into their internship and they were still happy they hadn't killed anyone yet.

"Well, I'll let you get back to work."

Leah stepped away from her interns and approached Arizona. "Dr. Robbins, are you doing anything for lunch?" she asked with a wistful, hopeful smile.

"Actually, yes, I am. I'm meeting my wife for lunch," Arizona said firmly as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe that Leah still held out hope after three years.

"Oh, okay, then. I'll see you around, I guess," Leah said disappointedly.

As she watched the resident return to her interns, Arizona couldn't help but sigh again. Leah's periodic attempts to make them more than colleagues were not helping her bad mood. The mistakes she'd made in the past… were they ever going to stop haunting her?

Three hours later, after performing a quick appendectomy, Arizona was in the cafeteria looking for her wife. After scanning the room, she spotted Callie seated at a table with Cristina and Owen sitting opposite of her. She noticed the extra tray of food on the table and was touched by Callie's thoughtfulness. Callie did so many little things like picking up her lunch, or bringing her a cup of coffee in the middle of the day that Arizona sometimes found herself overwhelmed with her love for the woman. And she still often cursed herself after all these years that she'd almost lost it all.

Seeing Owen and Cristina, Arizona allowed herself a small self-satisfied smile. It had been a secret that she'd been instrumental in bringing the cardio surgeon back to Seattle. Cristina had left three years ago, severing all ties with her former friends and co-workers. Arizona had been persistent in her emails and phone calls, even when Cristina had refused to respond. That persistence, as well as bombarding the cardio surgeon with photos of Sofia with her friend Zola had opened the line of communications with them.

At first the younger woman had been brusque, telling Arizona to 'go fuck herself' more than once when the peds surgeon wouldn't let up. Over time, they'd actually started to talk; sporadically at first, then weekly. It was Arizona who'd convinced Cristina to mend the bridges with Meredith and Owen. For some reason, it had worked and Cristina had come back to Grey-Sloan. Their conversations had all been on the side, and no one was any wiser. Cristina had gained insight into Arizona, and the fact that Arizona was willing to keep their friendship on the 'down low' had only added to her respect of the peds surgeon.

It hadn't been one-sided, either. Cristina had proven to be a good sounding board for Arizona. Their shared experience in the woods had bonded them for life, although it had taken them time to sort it all out. Arizona found Cristina's candor and bluntness to be what she needed. There were moments that Callie's emotional way of thinking and dealing with things didn't always work best for her. And even though she finally had shared with Callie what had happened after the crash, there were times that Arizona needed to speak with someone who had actually been there.

"Hey, everybody," Arizona said softly as she sat down next to Callie.

"Roller girl," Cristina said with a smirk. "Or maybe we should call you 'runner girl'?"

"Scalpel whore," the blonde fired back.

Owen laughed out loud and Callie's eyebrows shot up in shock.

"And proud of it," Cristina retorted.

Arizona's smile quickly faded when she saw Leah enter the cafeteria, her interns still trailing after her.

"You okay?" Callie asked solicitously, her hand dropping to Arizona's lower back.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a long day."

Sensing that Arizona was uncomfortable, Cristina quickly jumped into the conversation.

"So, what god awful costume are you putting my goddaughter into this year for Halloween?" she asked, opening her bag of chips. "It had better not be some stupid princess."

"No, she isn't doing that," Callie replied.

"Does she know yet, Callie? We're running out of time," Arizona said worriedly.

"I say put her into scrubs and cover her with fake blood," Cristina suggested.

"You're bound and determined to make her a surgeon, aren't you?" Callie queried. She pretended to be annoyed with Cristina, but secretly she was pleased with her friend's interest in Sofia.

"You bet. Sofia and Zola are going to running this hospital in twenty-five years."

"Maybe she can be a surgeon next year," Callie said. "She's going as her hero this year."

"Really? Who? Wonder Woman?" Arizona asked. "Oh, you'll dress her in something dark, so it's probably Batgirl. That won't be safe, Callie. She can't be dressed in dark clothes for trick-or-treating," Arizona rambled.

"She won't be. It's a surprise," Callie said.

"Oh, surprises, not a good thing, Cal," Cristina commented. "You should know better."

"It's a good one. I promise."

Only Cristina noticed Arizona flinch at Callie's words. Before she could say anything, the sound of pagers froze everyone at the table.

"Mine," Callie said, looking at her pager. "911 to the pit."

"Me, too," Owen said, rising from his seat. "Let's go."

Once they two surgeons had left, Cristina turned her focus back on Arizona.

"You okay, Arizona?" she asked quietly.

Cristina using her first name caused Arizona to momentarily panic.

"I'm fine," she said quickly. She poked at her salad. "You and Owen seem to be doing well."

"Yeah. Being the cool uncle to so many kids seems to be enough for him." The cardio doctor crumpled her empty bag of chips. "And I know what you're doing. Don't change the subject."

The blonde looked down, this time not quite so appreciative of Cristina's honesty.

"It's fall," she said in a quiet voice.

"And?"

"It just brings back… I can't help but think about all the crap that I've put Callie through that happened in the fall. The separation, Leah," Arizona rolled her eyes as she spoke the resident's name. "Our fight," Arizona continued. "It's just not a good time of year for me, and Leah still seems to be… I don't know… pining for me."

"Maybe you need to go see Wyatt. Maybe you need a tune-up," Cristina said as she ripped the wrapper off a candy bar.

"What?"

"When your leg is 'off' – oh bad choice of words," Cristina said, but both women smiled. "When your leg isn't working right, you take it in for a tune-up. You've been through a lot of shit over the years. Maybe your mind needs a tune-up."

Arizona nodded.

"And as for Murphy," the cardio surgeon continued, "I'll take care of that. I'll put her on my service for the next few weeks."

"You don't have to do that, Cristina."

"Yeah, well, it'll help me out. I need to see if there's any cardio talent in this year's group of interns. I'm not holding out any hope, but maybe one of them will surprise me."

Even though she knew Cristina didn't 'do' emotions and gratitude (at least not in any obvious manner), Arizona couldn't help herself. "Cristina?"

"What?" she mumbled as she stuffed the last bite of chocolate into her mouth.

"Thank you."

**October 31****st****, 2016 – Halloween Hero**

Sometimes Arizona really hated being a Department Head, and today was one of those times. She was running a little late and she knew Callie and Sofia were waiting for her.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized as she tossed her purse and keys on the kitchen counter. "Surgery ran late and the parents had a ton of questions."

"It's okay," Callie said, kissing her wife. "We haven't changed yet."

"So tonight's the big reveal? I'm going to see what costumes you've cooked up for us?"

"Yup," Callie replied with a mischievous smile. "Your costume is on the bed. I'll be changing with Sofia. She needs a little help with hers."

"Hmmm. I don't know if I like the sound of that," Arizona commented as she hung up her coat. "Sofia still going with the super hero theme?"

"Not exactly. She's going as her hero."

"Okaaay," Arizona drawled, baffled at what Callie was saying as she made her way to the master bedroom.

"Oh, and Arizona?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you put on the costume I left on the bed. The one in the bathroom? That's for later," Callie said.

"Later?" She looked back at her wife and was rewarded with one of Callie's lustful, yet loving, looks. It was a look that caused Arizona to immediately blush from head to toe.

Callie waited until Arizona disappeared into their bedroom before going upstairs to their daughter's room. She'd been concerned with Arizona's recent spate of the blues. Unlike the past, Arizona had opened up about what was bothering her. Despite Callie's reassurances, Arizona was still somewhat depressed. The Latina hoped that Sofia's costume would help lift her wife's spirits. And of course what she had planned for them after Sofia crashed from her sugar high was sure to help. At least that's what Callie was hoping for.

Once in Sofia's room, Callie swiftly pulled her pink t-shirt on over her long-sleeved shirt. She then handed Sofia a small, pink racing singlet which the young girl pulled on over her sweatshirt. She was wearing black shorts and sneakers. Callie pinned a number to the front and back of Sofia's shirt.

"Are you ready?" Callie asked.

"Yes, Mommy. Put it on," she ordered.

"Hold your horses, Sofia. Give me a minute."

Callie reached under the bed to retrieve the final piece of Sofia's costume. The two of them has fashioned their own version of a prosthetic leg out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Callie had screwed on a few hinges and pieces of scrap metal to make it as realistic as possible. She helped strap the homemade contraption onto Sofia's left leg.

"Do I look like Mama?" Sofia asked.

"Just like her," Callie said.

"Callie!" Arizona called out. "Are you sure about this costume?"

"I'll be right there," Callie answered. "You wait here, Sofia. We'll surprise Mama."

"Okay, Mommy."

Callie quickly trotted back down the stairs. Arizona was clad in her racing outfit. The only concession to the cooler air was she was wearing a black long sleeved shirt underneath her singlet.

"Why am I dressed in this?" Arizona asked. "And why are you wearing a 'Team Robbins' t-shirt?"

"I have to explain something," Callie said nervously.

"Go on," Arizona said, her arms crossed on her chest, her posture borderline defensive.

"First of all, you look really, really hot in those shorts." Seeing that her wife wasn't falling for the flattery, even though it was true, Callie plowed ahead. "I asked Sofia what she wanted to be for Halloween and she said she wanted to be just like her hero."

"Callie, her hero changes every week," she commented, a touch of exasperation in her voice.

"Not this time. She was adamant about who she wanted to be."

"Fine."

"Arizona, please be okay with this. Sofia really wanted to be her hero and I agreed with her."

Arizona sighed heavily, dreading what costume Sofia and Callie had dreamed up.

"Close your eyes," Callie instructed.

"Really?"

"Please? For Sofia."

"Fine," Arizona huffed, closing her eyes.

"Sofia, come on down."

Arizona waited as she heard the familiar footsteps of their daughter on the staircase. She kept her eyes closed until Callie told her to open them. What she saw instantly brought tears to her eyes. Seeing Sofia dressed up like her made her gasp.

"You don't like it, Mama?" Sofia asked, her lip trembling. "You're my hero and… and… and I wanted to be you this year."

"Oh, no, Sofia, I love it," Arizona said, wrapping her arms around Sofia and squeezing her tightly.

Callie subtly brushed away the tear at the corner of her eye.

"You two ready?" she asked.

"Ready, Mommy!" Sofia replied happily. "We need to get some treats!"

X

Somehow, over the past few years, it was Alex's house that ended up hosting the Halloween party. He didn't mind as it always got him an invite to Thanksgiving dinner either at Meredith and Derek's or Callie and Arizona's home. This year it would be at Callie's and he was looking forward to Callie's cooking and the extra large wide screen TV for the football games. Having a few rugrats running around before they went trick-or-treating was more than fair when a payoff was dinner and football at someone else's house.

He opened the door and was met with a loud "Trick-or-treat!" from the Robbins-Torres clan.

"Hey, look, it's a mini-Robbins," he said, stepping aside to let them in. "Did you run over here?"

"No. That's silly, Uncle Alex. It's too far," Sofia said, pushing her way into the house as she looked for her friend Zola.

"Really, Robbins?" Alex asked his boss. "She's you for Halloween?"

"Not my idea, Alex," she replied with an embarrassed smile.

"It was Sofia's idea," Callie explained. "Arizona is her hero and Sofia wanted to be her this year."

"Could be worse, I suppose," Alex grinned. "She could've dressed up like Yang."

"Perish the thought," Arizona said with a laugh, though emulating a dedicated surgeon and loyal friend wouldn't be all that terrible.

"Adult drinks are in the kitchen, like always," Alex said closing the door. "Meredith and Derek just got here and Bailey and Tucker are on their way."

"Alex, can you keep an eye on Sofia?" Callie asked.

"Sure, yeah, I guess so, whatever."

"Thanks."

Callie took her confused wife's hand and led her to the kitchen.

"Is something wrong, Callie?"

"Are you okay?" Callie asked earnestly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Sofia's costume…"

"Is incredible, and I can't believe she did it," Arizona said, her smile pushing past her tears.

"It was totally her idea, Arizona. Really. I just helped her with the leg."

"Thank you." Arizona slid her arms around her wife's waist. "I'm sorry I've been… you know… "

"It's okay, Arizona. But you really need to let it go. We're more than fine. We're great."

"I love you," Arizona said, then she kissed Callie tenderly on the lips.

"I love you, too," Callie murmured back.

"And later, when we get home, I'll show you how much I love you."

"You saw your costume for later, huh?" Callie asked between kisses.

"Even better, I got a peek at yours."


	2. Family & Friends

**Part 1 Continued**

**November 22****nd****, 2016 – Family and Friends**

Even though Thanksgiving was two days away, Callie had already started to prep the food for the dinner they were hosting. She'd even taken Wednesday off to work on her cooking. Arizona had surgery in the morning, but would be home in the afternoon to clean the house.

"Did you make dinner, or do I need to call for takeout?" Arizona asked as she came into the kitchen.

Sofia was perched on a stool, watching her mother cut up vegetables. "Pizza!" she said excitedly.

"Really? Pizza?" Arizona asked.

"It's my favorite, Mama," Sofia added.

"I already called," Callie added, hiding her face as she set a bowl into the large refrigerator. She wasn't a very good liar, and she knew Arizona would immediately know if she saw her face.

"Okay, then. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, I think we've got it covered," Callie answered as she glanced at the clock. "Why don't you sit down and relax?"

The doorbell rang. Callie deftly blocked her wife from leaving the room. "Would you pour us some wine and I'll get the pizza?"

"Okay."

While Callie answered the front door, the blonde reached into the cupboard to take out the glasses. She debated with herself for a few moments, wondering which sized glasses she should retrieve. She'd had a rough day. Having kids in the hospital over a holiday was hard on everyone, parents, patients and the staff, her included. It wasn't like Halloween where she could decorate her department, have the nurses, aides, and interns dress up and have some sort of version of trick-or-treating for the kids. No, Thanksgiving found few families with loved ones in the hospital feeling thankful.

Deciding that a big glass of wine would be good for both her and Callie, she opted for the larger sized goblets. Who knew? Maybe if they got a little buzz and didn't get sleepy, they could have a little 'adult' time later, she thought, a small smile appearing on her face. Between their hectic work schedules, Sofia's extracurricular activities and the malaise that she still couldn't seem to shake, their sex life had almost disappeared. If Callie hadn't made her resolution of having on-call room sex once a week, it wouldn't even exist. Her wife deserved better than a quickie once a week.

She filled one glass with her favorite white wine, then poured another with Callie's preferred red.

"I have a pizza for the Torres-Robbins family!" a familiar voice called out.

Arizona spun around, her hand immediately shooting out to grab the breakfast bar in an effort to steady herself. Even now with several years of using a prosthetic, she still had moments where she reacted instinctively and found herself losing her balance.

"Teddy!" Arizona and her daughter both shouted.

Callie, a wide smile on her face and pizza box in hand, stood behind the tall blonde. She knew they'd seen Teddy the month before when Teddy had come to town for the race, but Callie thought another visit would be good for her wife. She knew Arizona was still fighting her demons and maybe some quality time with her good friend would help. It certainly couldn't hurt, that much the Latina knew. For the most part Arizona seemed to be winning the battle, but there were days where she just couldn't seem to snap out of it. Callie had tried everything, and she'd spent many an evening listening patiently to Arizona. Clearly, no matter what the Latina did, it wasn't enough so she'd called in the troops.

Arizona hugged her friend tightly. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you. I am. I'm just surprised."

"Oh, I had a few days off and thought I'd spend some time with you and your family," she answered, looking over the shorter blonde's shoulder and nodding at Callie.

"This is great. How long will you be able to stay?" Arizona asked, releasing her friend.

"I have a flight early Sunday morning."

"Are you hungry? Can I get you a drink?"

"I'd love a glass of red wine," Teddy said, spying the bottles on the counter. "I just don't see good wine on the base often enough."

As Callie set the pizza on the breakfast bar, Arizona poured her friend a glass of wine. After handing it to Teddy, Arizona couldn't help but squeeze her friend's arm. "I'm so glad you're here."

"So am I."

"I hope you're prepared for the group that'll be here for Thanksgiving," Callie said, taking plates out and handing them to Sofia to set the table.

"How many are you hosting?"

"Well, if no one gets called into the hospital… let me see… " Callie mentally counted their friends who would be joining them. "If I include the kids, we should have twenty."

"Holy –"

"Little ears," Arizona said, cutting Teddy off before she could finish.

"And you're doing all the cooking?"

The four of them sat down at the kitchen table to eat their dinner.

"Well, Callie is, for the most part. I have to work tomorrow morning and then I've been drafted for the cleanup detail." Arizona set a slice of pizza on her plate. "If you're smart, you'll come in to the hospital with me."

"Why?"

"Callie will put you to work doing something, I'm sure," Arizona teased, throwing her wife a smile. She was pleased that Callie returned the smile.

"I don't mind helping out," Teddy offered as she picked up her glass of wine and took a small sip. "God, that's good wine. You two always did have the best wine."

"Thanks. Glad you like it."

The three women ate in comfortable silence as Sofia regaled them with stories about kindergarten (which she loved) between bites of her pizza. Like every time she'd visited, Teddy was impressed and not a little envious of the life her friends had built.

After dinner, Callie sensed her wife's need to spend some time with Teddy. She quickly 'shooed' them out of the kitchen and then volunteered to get Sofia ready for bed. While Sofia took a quick bath, Callie picked up the small girl's room. There were a few toys scattered on the floor and several books on her bed. We really need to get after Sofia to pick up after herself more, she thought.

"What pajamas do you want, Sofia?" she asked from the bathroom door.

"Crissina's," Sofia said.

Callie rolled her eyes. They were Sofia's favorites and she'd almost out grown them.

"Mommy, is Momma okay?" Sofia asked, pulling her pajama top on.

"Of course she is. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. She seems sad."

"She's fine," Callie replied automatically. "She's just really busy at work."

"She's always tired, and… and she never wants to play anymore."

"Sofia, that's not true. She plays with you every night before bed."

"Uh uh."

Downstairs, Arizona and Teddy had made their way into the family room.

"So, Teddy, anything or _anyone_ new in your life?" Arizona asked as she settled herself onto the sofa.

"Not really. Just a few dates here and there. I'm just so busy. I hardly have time for surgery." She took a large drink of wine. "I miss surgery. I even miss working with Yang." She set the glass down on the coaster. "How is Yang doing, by the way?"

"Very well. She's practically running the department. At some point, we should just make her the head of Cardio."

"I don't think that's a good idea. Cristina is all about the cutting. The paperwork involved in running a department would just frustrate the hell out of her. You know what it's like."

"I do know," Arizona agreed. "But I've had years of practice at it. I know how to balance the two."

"Yang never would get to that point."

"True," the peds surgeon said, nodding her head.

"So, you want to tell me what's going on?" Teddy asked after a few minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Arizona asked, her tone both defensive and nervous.

"You just seem off, not as 'perky'."

"I'm fine."

"Arizona…"

Before they could continue their conversation, Sofia rushed into the room for her good night hugs and kisses, Callie behind her. The young girl climbed up onto the sofa into her momma's lap.

"Where did you get those pajamas?" Teddy asked with a laugh. "No, wait, I know. It's got to be Yang."

"Crissina gave them to me," Sofia said proudly. "They're my favorites."

"I can tell," Teddy said, noting the fraying cuffs on both the top and bottoms.

"Read me a story, Momma?" Sofia asked, her arms around Arizona's neck.

"Sofia, Momma's talking with Aunt Teddy," Callie said. "How about I read the story?"

"But I wanted Momma to," Sofia said, a tiny pout starting to form.

"It's okay, Callie. I can do it. I'm sure Teddy understands."

"Go right ahead," Teddy said agreeably. "I'll just stay here and help Callie finish off this bottle of delicious wine."

As Arizona disappeared up the stairs with Sofia, Callie topped off hers and Teddy's glass.

"How long has she been like this?" Teddy asked in a quiet voice once Callie had sat down.

"Since about a week after the race."

"Is she talking?"

"That's the thing. She is talking about it to me, and to her therapist. She's just stuck."

"Do you want to tell me what's bugging her or do you want me to get her to talk?"

"Maybe it'd be better for her to tell you." Callie sighed then took a large sip from her glass. "I don't know what to do anymore, Teddy. She's really beating herself up."

"Well, maybe tomorrow night might be better. She's got surgery in the morning and I don't want to keep her up all night."

"Sounds like a good idea."

X

The next day, while Arizona was at the hospital, Callie took command of the house. Sofia was told to clean up her room, Teddy was allowed to sleep in, and Callie began her final preparations for the Thanksgiving dinner. Mid-morning, a well-rested Teddy Altman entered the kitchen.

"Coffee?" Callie asked.

"Yes, please." Callie poured a cup and slid it across the counter. "Thanks," a grateful Teddy said. "And thank you for letting me sleep in this morning."

"Not a problem."

"Sofia?"

"Upstairs cleaning her room," Callie said with a smile. "Which means she'll be there for hours because she has to play with every toy before she puts it away."

"Clever mom you are," Teddy smirked.

"Did you want something for breakfast?"

"I'm okay. I don't usually eat breakfast." She blew lightly on her cup of coffee. "Besides, I'm saving my appetite for tomorrow."

"You'll need one. I've got a big dinner planned."

"What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. You're our guest."

"Nonsense. I can pitch in."

"Really, there's nothing yet to do, though I wouldn't put it past Arizona to coerce you into helping her clean the house."

"Well, I can start on it right after I finish my coffee."

"And after you eat something for breakfast. I insist." Callie's tone was firm. "What would you like? We've got fruit and yogurt. I can whip you up some pancakes or eggs."

"Fruit and toast will be fine, and I can make it myself," Teddy said as she got up from the stool she was sitting on.

"Oh, no, nobody steps foot into my kitchen," Callie said, raising her hand, "until it's time to clean up after dinner tomorrow."

"Okay, then. Sitting back down," Teddy retorted.

As it sometimes happened, more frequently than not, Arizona wasn't able to leave the hospital until several hours after she'd planned. After her scheduled surgeries, there was an emergency, which pulled her back into the OR. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that she was finally able to make her way home. The only thing good thing about having the surgeries, other than the positive outcomes, was the fact that she'd been able to avoid Leah for another day.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized as soon as she walked through the front door. "I got called into an emergency surgery. Just give me a moment to rest my feet, then I'll get the housecleaning done."

"It's okay, honey," Callie replied, returning her wife's kiss on the cheek with one on her lips. "We've all been there. Besides, I had help."

"You didn't, Teddy," Arizona was aghast that her friend had done her cleaning.

"I did," Teddy grinned.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Callie asked.

"Um, not yet. I think I'm gonna soak my leg. That last surgery…"

"Say no more," Callie replied understandingly.

"Are you going to use the hot tub?" Teddy asked.

"I wasn't planning on it. Why?"

"I used muscles today moving furniture that I haven't used in a quite a while. Can we use it?" Teddy suggested.

"Sure." Arizona sounded anything but sure. She'd finally gotten comfortable with her family and friends seeing her with her prostheses. It was entirely different for them to see her without it. Only Callie and Sofia had seen her stump since she'd started wearing it.

"Great!" Teddy said enthusiastically. "I'll go change and meet you there."

Teddy took her time changing into her bathing suit. Callie provided her with one of the robes and a pair of sandals they had just for using in the hot tub. By the time she got out to the deck off the master bedroom, Arizona was already in the hot tub.

"Callie left a glass of wine here for you."

"Your wife is a good woman," Teddy commented as she stepped into the hot tub. "Oh, God, this feels great," she said with a sigh.

"Yeah, it does. We don't use it nearly enough."

"I find that hard to believe," Teddy smirked as she picked up her glass.

"Oh, I'm not saying we haven't 'used' it. We just don't seem to find the time to take advantage of it."

"Then make the time."

"I suppose we could. It's hard with our schedules, and with Sofia around."

"Are you still having date nights?"

"Not lately," Arizona said sadly. She had to think back to when their last one was. It had been over two months since they'd had a night out.

"Why don't I do something with Sofia while I'm here and you two have a nice night out on the town." Teddy gave her friend a knowing smile. "Or you could have a nice night in…"

"You don't have to do that, Teddy."

"I know I don't have to do anything. I'm offering. Besides, I never get to spend any time with Sofia."

"Okay. I'll ask Callie tonight."

"Good." Teddy leaned back and looked up at the stars. Fall in Seattle rarely gave them a cloud free night.

Arizona sat silently as she sipped from her wine and let the jetted hot water soothe her leg. She looked over at her friend and cringed on the inside. She'd almost destroyed her friendship with Teddy when it all had fallen apart for her three years ago. She'd shut Teddy out, refusing her calls and emails for over a year. It wasn't until she was certain that she and Callie were over for good that she'd reached out to Teddy.

"Arizona, do you like your life?" Teddy asked bluntly. She'd decided that trying some tough love was needed.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you like your life?" she repeated.

"Yes. I love my life."

"Then let the past go. You can't change it. It happened. Let it go." Teddy took another sip from her glass and looked directly at her friend. "You have an amazing family; a life I envy like you wouldn't believe."

"And I came so close to losing it all, Teddy."

"Yes, you did. But in the end, you didn't lose it. You both fought hard to rebuild your lives together. That's what you should be thinking about."

"I know. I know that. I just get… I look at Sofia and Callie, and I think about how I almost lost them both. I was so stupid."

"You were lost, Arizona. With everything that had happened…" Teddy set her glass down. "We've talked about this before. Are you going to cheat on Callie again?"

"Never!"

"Then let it go. Callie has, and so has everyone else. Stop dwelling on it and appreciate what you do have."

"You're right," Arizona said quietly.

"I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

"I know."

"Good. Because you know I'm always right," Teddy said with a cocky smile.

Arizona responded by splashing water at her friend. Before Teddy could reply in kind, Callie appeared on the deck.

"Supper's going to be ready in a few minutes."

"I'm gonna go get dressed," Teddy said, getting out of the tub. She gave Callie's shoulder a quick squeeze as she passed.

Callie waited until Teddy was gone before she approached her wife. "Do you need some help?" she asked tentatively. Arizona could still be touchy about being asked if she needed assistance.

"Yes, thanks."

Callie helped her wife out of the tub. Before she could grab the crutches, Arizona wrapped her arms around Callie, holding her close.

"You're getting me all wet," Callie complained good naturedly as she reached for the blue robe hanging on one of the hooks near the sliding door leading to their bedroom.

"I know," Arizona replied, kissing Callie once. "And if you play your cards right, I'll be getting you all wet again later tonight," she said suggestively.

X

Arizona awoke the next morning, naked and alone. Despite the time she'd spent soaking in the hot tub the night before, her body ached. She smiled even though her body hurt in spots it hadn't hurt in a months. It was a good ache, brought on by several hours of vigorous love-making before she and Callie had finally fallen asleep.

As she put on her robe (thoughtfully left on the bed by her wife), she looked over at the clock and saw that it was nearly nine-thirty. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that late and was grateful that Callie had let her sleep. Maybe I should reward her again tonight, Arizona thought.

Reaching for her crutches, it occurred to Arizona that she felt good. Really good. And not just because she'd had great sex for most of the night. Somewhere between the talk with Teddy, making love with Callie and sleeping in, her bad mood seemed to have lifted. It didn't feel like it was temporary, either. She genuinely felt good.

She quickly showered and dressed before heading into the kitchen. Apparently Callie had been up for several hours as the turkey was already in the oven, the dining room table had been extended and the place settings were on it.

Teddy was sitting at the breakfast bar with Sofia, both snacking on peanut butter and apples.

"Good morning, everyone," Arizona said happily as she immediately went over to her wife.

"You're in a good mood," Callie noted, handing her a cup of coffee.

"I feel good," Arizona replied. "No, I feel great." She gave her wife a chaste kiss, but still managed to slide her hand down Callie's hip and to her ass.

"Yeah, I'll say you're feeling good," Callie remarked as she nimbly turned her hips away from Arizona's wandering hand.

Teddy smirked behind her coffee cup as she watched the couple flirt with one another. The cardio surgeon was thrilled to see Arizona out of her blue mood. She didn't know if it was something she'd said to Arizona or if it was the sex the two had obviously had the night before. She didn't care. Her friend was feeling better and that was all that mattered.

"So what time is dinner?" Teddy asked.

"Two-thirty," Callie replied.

"Can I do anything to help?" Arizona asked, reaching behind Callie to snag a carrot stick.

"Nope. It's all done." She smacked Arizona's hand away from the vegetable tray. "And stop eating our guest's food."

"Make me," Arizona playfully challenged her wife.

"Out of my kitchen," the Latina ordered, nudging Arizona out of the kitchen. Callie pretended to be irritated, but she was secretly glad to see this side of Arizona had returned.

"You better listen to your wife," Teddy said. "Trust me. She's scary with a knife in her hand."

"Fine," Arizona huffed.

She circled around to the breakfast bar and snaked her hand out to grab one of the apples.

"Momma!" Sofia protested as she slid her plate away.

"Find your own," Teddy teased, picking up her own plate and turning away from her friend..

"But I'm hungry."

"Then make yourself some breakfast," Callie replied.

"But you won't let me in the kitchen," the blonde countered.

A loud knock at the front door interrupted the standoff.

"Who's at the door so early?" Teddy asked.

"Karev," Arizona and Callie answered at the same time.

"Why would he come now?" Teddy asked.

"Football," Arizona explained as she made her way to the front door.

Arizona opened the front door to find Alex, as expected. His five month old son was strapped to his chest, the diaper bag slung over his shoulder and a paper bag in his hand.

"Alex." Arizona greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before taking the bag from his hand.

"Hey, Robbins. Did I miss the kickoff?"

"Nope, you're a few minutes early."

"Great!"

"Jo?"

"Working. She'll be here later."

Callie quickly joined Arizona in the foyer, eager to get her hands on the baby. Arizona loved seeing Callie around babies. The Latina delighted in holding and cuddling them.

"Can I?" Callie asked Alex, reaching for his son.

"Sure."

Alex was no fool. He knew there would be no problem showing up to watch the first game. His son would be in good hands with his friends. He'd be lucky to get him back before dinner. Fifteen minutes later, after stopping to greet Teddy, he was parked in front of the television watching the kickoff, Sofia seated beside him. Callie, Teddy and Arizona fussed with his son, each wanting a turn with the cute baby.

Arizona thought her heart would melt when she saw the baby boy in Callie's arms. Her wife was such a natural with kids, especially babies. The blonde's brain was suddenly full of thoughts about babies, having another child with Callie. The strength of those feelings shocked her and nearly overwhelmed her. No, no, she thought. It's only because there's a baby around. We're good with only having Sofia, right? Still… we do have this big house, and it would be good for Sofia to have a brother or a sister.

Shaking her head, Arizona got up from the chair she was sitting in. She needed to get out of the room. She needed to clear her head of all these baby thoughts.

"I'm going to get another cup of coffee? Anyone need anything?" she asked, wiping her hands nervously on her pants.

"I'm all set," Teddy said, gently taking Alex Junior from Callie. "I have all I need right now," she add, snuggling with the baby.

"Chicks," Alex muttered. "Give 'em a baby and they get all mushy brained."

"Alex!" Arizona said, her voice filled with reproach.

"What? It's true."

Arizona rolled her eyes, even though she privately thought Alex was right, even if she fell into that apt description.

"Is it too early for beer?" Alex asked before Arizona could leave the room.

"Yes. No alcohol before noon in this house," Callie said, following her wife into the kitchen.

"You can be sure Yang won't be here before then," he called after them.

Callie had noticed the slight look of panic on her wife's face earlier. Arizona didn't seem to be upset, or unhappy or depressed, but something was up with her. Before she had a chance to ask, there was another knock at the door.

"I'm guessing April and Jackson," Arizona said to her wife. "I'll get it."

"Thanks. I think I'd better start putting the snacks out for everyone."

Within an hour, all of their guests had arrived, even though dinner wasn't for another few hours. Owen and Derek organized Little Tuck (who wasn't so little anymore), Sofia and Zola in a game of soccer in the backyard. Bailey, Derek and Meredith's son, chased after them, his short legs unable to keep up with the older children.

April gently laid her four month old daughter, Harper Robbins Avery, down in the playpen beside Alex Junior. Young as they were, the two infants stared at one another, seemingly fixated on the other.

"Sure that's a good idea?" Cristina asked.

"What do you mean?" April asked.

"Putting your daughter next to the spawn of evil spawn?"

"They'll be fine, Cristina," April said with a roll of her eyes, though she did smile.

Arizona watched the two babies for a few minutes. She was still amazed that her friend and protégé was married with a son. Her eyes glanced to April, then back down to her namesake. Her friendship with April had been one of the most unlikeliest ones to have ever been formed, and Arizona had never been more grateful or appreciative. Three years ago, she'd been alone, without Callie or anyone else. April had offered her a sympathetic ear, never judging her for having cheated on Callie or sleeping with Leah. She knew the other attendings that had been residents with April had found her annoying, but they'd never seen the depth to April, or the compassionate side to her. Arizona now considered April one of her closest friends, and April felt the same way. April had even gone against her family to name her daughter partially after Arizona, and to make Arizona the godmother.

"Feeling better?" April asked when she and Arizona were standing alone. "You look better."

"I do," Arizona responded. "Thanks for asking." She took a sip from her wine. "And April, thanks for – "

"No need to thank me, Arizona," the younger woman said, cutting off the apology. "It's what friends do."

"I know. I've just been a little moody." Arizona smiled wryly at her own choice of words. "And you've been really supportive, so, thanks."

"You're my friend, Arizona," April said simply.

Two hours later, everyone was seated at the dining room table. Callie sat at the head of the table, Arizona seated to her right, Sofia in between them. Arizona surveyed the group, people she now considered part of their family. Their group had grown over the past few years. She wondered where the time had gone. It seemed like it was only yesterday that there were three married couples with only two children, Sofia and Zola. Now, they were all married (or remarried, when she thought about Owen and Cristina, and she and Callie). There were three more children, and she was sure in another few years there would be more children, as Alex and April were both planning on at least one more child. Arizona acutely felt the need for her own family to grow as well. Somehow she was going to have to work up the nerve to approach Callie. She picked up her glass as Richard gave a toast.

Maybe Christmas, Arizona thought. Maybe I can talk to Callie then.


	3. A Good Day Gone Bad

**Part 2**

**One Year Later**

**Friday, November 11th, 2017 - A Good Day Gone Bad**

April Kepner, still clad in her surgical gown and scrub cap, stood at the nurses' station as she finished writing her post-op instructions. It was early afternoon, and an emergency trauma had pulled her into the OR for several hours, causing her to miss lunch. Closing the chart, she looked up to see her good friend walking down the hall. April smiled. Arizona was in a good mood and there was even a little added 'pep' to her step. It seemed that this fall Arizona had beaten back her demons and was no longer tormenting herself and April couldn't be any happier for her friend.

"How'd your surgery go?" Arizona asked.

"Good. Just long," April said, finally pulling off her scrub cap.

"Saw it on the board and thought you could use this," Arizona said, placing a cup of coffee and a bag on the counter.

"Oh, coffee. Thanks, Arizona."

"Coffee, donuts and a banana. I would've picked up more, but trust me, stale donuts are way better than what they served today in the cafeteria."

"You're in a good mood," April commented as she fished a donut out of the paper sack. She was glad to have a friend as thoughtful as Arizona. They'd both become avid practitioners of random acts of kindness with one another since becoming friends.

"I'm in a _great_ mood," Arizona replied, helping herself to one of the donuts. "Sofia is rocking first grade." Arizona grinned as she thought about her daughter. "I kicked butt in surgery this morning and I got to spend some time with Callie before my next surgery."

"How's Callie feeling?"

"Awesome," Arizona said with a smirk, knowing that her friend would get flustered when she put two and two together.

"Oh, that's good," April replied, then she stopped when she saw the somewhat self-satisfied, cocky smile on Arizona's face and her disheveled appearance. "Oh, you mean… "

"Yup," Arizona nodded.

"Well, I don't think I really want to know." But April couldn't stop herself. "Seriously?"

"Oh don't look at me like that, April. I'm sure you went through the same thing when you were pregnant."

April's cheeks reddened. "Well, yes," she admitted. "But it seems to be going on a lot longer for Callie. I mean, how far along is she? It usually ends when you're out of the second trimester."

"Well maybe for you it did. We just started the third trimester, and Callie's, um, urges, don't seem to have lessened." Arizona grinned again at her friend's embarrassment. Over the past few years, she and April had conversed on a wide range of topics. It still boggled her mind that she could even talk about sex with April. Who knew that April, the woman once best known for her virginity, liked to dish the dirt.

Before April could respond, Miranda Bailey approached the two of them.

"Hey, Chief."

"Kepner, Robbins."

Miranda Bailey had taken over as Chief of Surgery six months earlier when Owen had decided to step down and go back to heading up the Trauma Department. It had been a long time coming, and Arizona thought Bailey's promotion was well-deserved and overdue.

"What's up, Miranda?"

"I need to speak with you, Arizona. Do you have some time?"

"I've got surgery in twenty minutes."

"Come find me after you're done."

"Sure thing."

The Chief nodded and continued down the hall.

"What's that about?" April asked.

"Um, that patient I have. The one Jackson and I need a consult for."

"Oh, you mean the little baby with..."

"That's the one. We need to do it soon."

"Yeah, he's been stressing about it the past two weeks."

"Me, too." Arizona looked at her watch. "I've got to prep for my surgery. Talk to you later."

For the next several hours, Arizona pushed the thoughts of her impending conversation with Bailey aside as she worked on the infant with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis**. **The peds surgeon had become very good over the years at focusing on her work and not allowing any distractions. The year she and Callie had been apart and when her life had seemed to spiral out of control, surgery had been the one saving grace in her life.

After the successful surgery, and after spending time with the parents, Arizona made her way to the Chief's office. She thought of Miranda as a friend, but she still felt like she'd been called to the principal's office every time she had to go there. In didn't matter who the Chief of Surgery was – Richard, Derek, Owen and now Miranda. In that office, it wasn't her friend behind the desk, it was her boss.

"Have a seat, Dr. Robbins," Miranda said from behind her desk.

Arizona closed the door before taking a seat in across from Bailey.

"You don't have good news for me, do you?" Arizona cautiously asked.

"Not exactly," Bailey said, shuffling some papers on the wide desk. "I want you to know I tried. Moore at the Cleveland Clinic is out of the country. Svendor at Columbia Pres is sidelined for the next two months – something to do with a freak gardening accident." Bailey rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Arizona closed her eyes and waited for the anvil to fall.

"The only specialist available is "

"Lauren Boswell," Arizona said, finishing Bailey's sentence.

"Yes. I'm really sorry, Arizona," Bailey said with not a small amount of compassion. "I know how you feel, how we _all_ feel about her. We don't have any choice."

"Damn it," Arizona sighed. "What about Galbraith at Cedars? Did you try him?"

"He's booked solid through the end of the year. You know we can't wait until January."

"So it's Boswell." Arizona sighed heavily again.

"Yes. She's got an opening the week of Thanksgiving."

"Then we bring her in." Arizona's shoulders slumped. "Crap."

"Do you want to tell Torres or do you want me to?" Bailey asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I'll do it. I don't want to, but it's best coming from me." Arizona stood up. "Guess I better prepare myself for sleeping in the guest room for the next few weeks."

"She won't be that bad, will she?" Bailey queried, sympathy in her voice. She had really hoped that another doctor would be available. She knew how hard it had been for her two friends and she didn't want to make any more trouble for them.

"C'mon, Bailey. We're talking about a pregnant, hormone casserole, hot tempered Latina called Callie Torres. What do you think?"

"Point taken." Bailey cleared her throat. "I don't want to… I need to ask…" Bailey couldn't meet her friend's eyes. She was uncomfortable with what she was about to ask the peds surgeon, but in the best interest of the hospital, she knew she had to. "Do I have anything to worry about when she gets here?" she asked as delicately as possible.

"Absolutely not!" Arizona replied vehemently. "And I'm insulted that you think you even thought there could be," she said defensively.

"I apologize, Arizona, but as the Chief of Surgery, I have to know if anything could upset the running of my staff."

Arizona was fuming. It was hard enough that she was going to have to deal with _that _woman again, but to have her boss insinuate that she would even…

"Arizona, I wasn't implying that there was anything between you and Boswell. I have concerns that you wouldn't be able to work with her."

"I'm more than professional when it comes to my job," Arizona bristled. "You know that." The blonde took a deep breath. "It was more than four years ago, Miranda. I think I can handle it."

"Okay, then. Enough said." Bailey got up from her desk. "You should probably tell your wife before she hears it from someone else."

"She's picking up Sofia and I'm meeting her at home. I'll tell her tonight."

X

Callie knew something was bothering her wife. She had picked at her food during dinner and barely said anything. The only time she showed any interest in anything was when Sofia happily chatted about everything that she'd done in school. The Latina was beginning to get worried, fearing that Arizona was sliding back into her annual autumn depression.

She really, really hoped that it wasn't happening. Things had been so good for them this year. Deciding to have another child last year had been surprisingly easy. Getting pregnant after only a few months of trying had really shocked them both. Granted, the first few months of her pregnancy had been difficult. This time around, Callie had constant morning sickness for two months. Arizona had been a trooper, taking care of her, never losing patience through the Latina's hormonal mood swings. Callie had never loved her wife more.

The past three months had been great for them. Her checkups had been right on track, the morning (all day, actually) sickness had ebbed and well, the second trimester? They'd _really_ enjoyed that. The hormones had set Callie's libido to the point where it was almost uncontrollable. They were like two teenagers that had discovered sex for the first time. It didn't matter if they were at work or at home (or even in the parking lot one night at work – Callie smiled as she remembered that). Their desire for one another was insatiable, and they'd gotten very, very good at being very, very quiet.

As she looked across the kitchen table at her wife and her subdued mood, Callie felt a chill of fear creep up her spine. She didn't want to lose her wife again.

"Everything okay, honey?" Callie asked as she cleared the table.

"Um, yes, but I do want to talk to you later."

Callie assumed, hoped, that her hormones were causing the sudden dread she felt.

"After Sofia goes to bed?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Sounds good." Arizona got up from the table. "Sofia, do you have any homework?"

"Already did it, Momma," she said proudly.

"Good girl," Arizona complimented her daughter, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Can I watch television?" Sofia asked her mothers.

"How about we watch a movie instead?" Arizona suggested.

"Yay!"

"Get ready for bed and we'll watch the movie together."

"Popcorn?"

"Maybe. Go get changed."

The six and a half year old joyfully scurried up the stairs. A night when all three of them were home and could watch a movie together had been rare this fall.

"What time is her soccer game tomorrow?" Arizona asked, pouring herself a post-dinner glass of wine.

"We're lucky this week. We don't have the early one. She has to be there at ten o'clock."

"That's good. We can all sleep in tomorrow morning."

"You don't work?"

"No, Alex is covering rounds for me tomorrow. He'll call me if he needs me."

Callie was now even more concerned. Arizona never ducked her rounds, even when they conflicted with Sofia's schedule. As hard as it was for her, Callie bit back the urge to say something. Knowing that Arizona wanted to talk later was the only thing that would get the expectant mother through the evening. She even felt some relief over her wife's willingness to talk. It had taken them too many years and too many breakups to get to this point, but it had been worth it. What they had now - a daughter, a home, a baby on the way, a strong marriage – was worth the heartache that they'd gone through.

A short time later, the family settled on the sofa in the family room to watch Sofia's current favorite movie, Lilo and Stitch. Callie could hardly watch as she kept looking over at her wife. Arizona was laughing with Sofia, but Callie knew it was her 'fake' laugh.

Once the movie was over, and a sleepy Sofia was tucked into bed, the two women made their way to their bedroom.

"So, Meredith and Derek are going to host Thanksgiving this year," Arizona called out from the bathroom as she got ready for bed.

Callie knew Arizona was delaying whatever it was she wanted to talk about by trying to make conversation.

"Good, I think. I mean, I know I can't do it this year, but the last time they had it, it was a disaster." Callie tried to keep her tone light. "Is Teddy coming this year?"

"Yes. She even hinted that she might be bringing someone with her."

"Really? That's great! It's about time."

"I know, I know."

Using her crutches to maneuver back into the room, Arizona's shirt crept up, exposing pale skin. Callie was embarrassed by the lust she suddenly felt for her wife. Just that little strip of flesh on the blonde's torso was all it took. She quickly looked away and turned the covers down.

"So, we need to talk," Arizona said, getting into bed.

"Okay," Callie said, her hands trembling beneath the sheets.

"I have to tell you something."

Those six words filled Callie with anxiety. Any thoughts she had about making love with her wife were quickly doused.

"You know that patient Jackson and I have?"

"The little girl with the…" Callie gestured with her hand around her face and head.

"Yes." Arizona took a deep breath. "We can't handle it ourselves. We need to bring in a specialist." She reached for her wife's hand and squeezed it. "I want you to know Bailey did everything she could, but we couldn't get any of the doctors we wanted."

"Who did you get?" Callie asked in a whisper, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Lauren Boswell. She was the only one available who can do this kind of surgery."

Arizona could feel her wife try to pull her hand away, but she tightened her grip on Callie's hand. "I'm so sorry, Callie. We didn't have a choice. I didn't want her here. I _don't_ want her here."

"I know," Callie replied in a tight voice, her body stiffening. "When?"

"When what?"

"When will she be here?"

"Ten days. We're operating the week of Thanksgiving."

Callie wanted to scream. She wanted to push her wife out of their bed. She thought she'd never see that woman again. It had taken them years to get to the point where her name was never even mentioned.

Arizona pulled Callie into her arms, holding her tight as Callie's reaction was to struggle to get away.

"I promise you, Calliope, you have nothing to worry about. I will have Jackson handle it all. I only need to be there for the patient."

"I don't want her near you," Callie said. "It's not that I don't trust you, Arizona, because I do. I do trust you. It's just… that woman… she doesn't respect you, or us. She doesn't know us."

"And she won't. Our life together is just that. Ours." The blonde felt her wife's body sag in resignation. "I love you, Callie," she said, kissing her temple. "I love only you. You're the only one I will ever want."


	4. Enough Already

**Part 2 Continued**

**Monday, November 21, 2017 - Enough Already**

Arizona had struggled for the past ten days to keep it together. She absolutely, positively dreaded the arrival of what she would always call "her greatest mistake". She and Callie had tip-toed around one another since the night she'd told Callie. Her wife wasn't angry with her, just tense and irritable. Neither of them could bear to speak about it, preferring to just sweep their anxiety and trepidation under the rug. It was probably the first time they'd done that, not talked about an issue, since they'd remarried.

She frowned as she thought about how she and Callie hadn't made love since the afternoon the day she found out about Boswell's return. Just the mention of that name had done the damage. Their sex life was now null and void. Apparently Callie's insatiable libido had flown the coop with the thought of Lauren Boswell being in the hospital once more. Or maybe Callie just didn't desire her anymore, Arizona thought darkly. Maybe Callie just doesn't want me, doesn't want me to touch her. Arizona was at a loss. Feelings of embarrassment and shame dogged her every thought. She felt unworthy of her wife's love once again. She knew she shouldn't feel that way anymore, but she just couldn't stop it.

Because of the impending case with Jackson and… _that woman_… Arizona's surgical schedule was relatively light. She was available for emergent cases but she wanted to remain focused on her patient. To keep herself from going stir crazy, she had taken to hanging out in the OR gallery. She didn't care what the surgery was or who was performing it.

It was bad luck for Arizona that she wasn't paying attention to who the surgeon was. Leah Murphy had looked up and had seen Arizona slumped in the first row of seats in the gallery and her heart beat a little faster. The fifth-year resident always kept tabs on the peds surgeon, and she couldn't help but notice that Arizona and her wife weren't spending much time together lately. She knew it was wrong, but Leah hoped that the couple was having trouble again. For three long years, ever since Arizona had put an end to their relationship, Leah had held on to her hope that they could be together again. She'd fallen hard for the older woman, convincing herself that she was in love with Arizona. Even though the resident had dated others since Arizona had gone back to her wife, she still longed for the peds surgeon.

Leah returned her concentration back to her surgery, a simple cholecystectomy under the watchful eyes of Meredith Grey. Early in her residency, Leah had considered orthopedic surgery or possibly peds, but with who the heads of those departments were, she quickly squashed those plans. She'd settled for general surgery. It was all that was really left, actually. She wasn't interested in neuro, and Dr. Yang in cardio was good friends with both Arizona and Dr. Torres (and Dr. Yang was just plan scary, too). Trauma was out as an option as well. Dr. Hunt wasn't bad, but Dr. Kepner's friendship with Arizona made Leah uneasy.

As soon as she scrubbed out, Leah went in search of Arizona, certain that the peds surgeon had been in the gallery to see her. She smiled when she saw the older surgeon walking away from the OR.

"Dr. Robbins!" she called out as she hurried to catch up with her.

"Murphy."

"I saw you in the gallery," Leah said in a rush of words.

"What?"

"The OR gallery. The one where Dr. Grey let me be lead on the choley."

Arizona wanted to hit herself. She knew she should've checked the board first instead of just wandering into the first gallery. Had she known it was Leah, she would never have been in that gallery.

"I'm just so thrilled you were there to watch," Leah gushed. "It really means a lot to me."

"Murphy, you don't," Arizona started before she was cut off.

"So I was hoping we could have a drink later, to celebrate," the resident continued as she stepped closer.

"No," Arizona said firmly.

"What? I don't understand."

"There will be no drinks tonight, or ever."

"But… but you were in the gallery. Watching me," Leah said plaintively.

Keenly aware that they seemed to gaining an audience, Arizona flushed with embarrassment and anger. She'd had enough of Leah's obsession with her, and she was tired of yet again having to deal with the resident.

"Come with me," the older woman snapped as she marched toward the nearest doctors' lounge.

Flinging the door open, Arizona was annoyed to find the room occupied. Two residents were dozing on the sofas, Yang was pouring herself a cup of coffee and Meredith was just beginning to take a seat at one of the tables.

"Everybody out!" Arizona said loudly. "Now!"

The residents, hearing the tone of Arizona's voice, stumbled their sleep-deprived bodies out of the room as quickly as they could. They'd been too shocked by the anger in Dr. Robbins' voice to say anything. In their eyes, Dr. Robbins was the nice attending, the kind and patient doctor. To hear her now was astonishing, and not a little bit frightening.

Meredith rose to her feet and gently tugged on Cristina's arm. "C'mon, Cristina."

A younger, more callous Cristina Yang would have insisted on staying in the room, or at least complained loudly that she wanted to watch. She hadn't really softened much since arriving in Seattle many years ago, but she now had friends beyond Meredith and she was loyal to them. It was only because of her friendship with Arizona that she agreed to leave the room.

As the two women passed by Arizona, Cristina paused. "Do you want me to kick her ass for you?" she whispered to the blonde.

For a brief moment, Arizona forgot her anger and was touched by Cristina's offer. "No, I got it. But thanks."

Once the room was clear, Arizona turned back to Leah.

"Dr. Murphy."

"Leah," the younger woman said.

"No, you are _Doctor_ Murphy and I am _Doctor_ Robbins. We don't do first names anymore, Murphy."

"We used to," Leah persisted.

"We haven't in over three years and we never will again." Arizona rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to stop the headache she felt coming on. "This has got to stop, Murphy. There is nothing between us, there never was."

Leah stepped back as if she'd been slapped. Arizona saw the hurt on the younger woman's face, and she briefly regretted having to be so harsh.

"But you were in the gallery, watching me." Leah regrouped herself and approached Arizona again, this time, risking placing her hand on the peds surgeon's arm. "I know you were there because you wanted to be," she said earnestly.

"I was only in the gallery because I wanted to watch a surgery. It had nothing to do with you. I didn't even know you were the surgeon."

"I don't believe you." Leah almost sounded petulant.

"You know what? This needs to stop," Arizona said, jerking her hand away from Leah. "It needs to stop now. We have had this discussion how many times, Murphy? I. Don't. Have. Any. Feelings. For. You. How can I make it any clearer?"

"But Ariziona…"

"**Doctor** Robbins," she hissed.

Once more, Leah stepped back from Arizona, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I have tried to keep things between us civil and professional, but enough is enough. You need to stay away from me and my family."

Leah's lower lip trembled, and Arizona couldn't help but be reminded of a pouting Sofia when she couldn't have her way. She felt badly for the younger woman, but she'd never misled her. She never promised her anything more than casual. (and oh, God, what had she been thinking then? She was clearly not right in the head to have taken up sleeping with Leah). She'd never professed any feelings for her, and she'd done her best to let the resident down as easy and as gently as possible. Leah just didn't get it. Or maybe she didn't want to get it.

"Do you understand, Dr. Murphy?"

Leah numbly nodded.

"There will be no offers for drinks or lunches. There will be no more longing looks across the cafeteria. There will be no more suggestions that we are anything more than colleagues. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Dr. Robbins."

"Good." Arizona started for the door before turning around one last time. "Do not make me have to repeat myself again, or I'll have to speak to the chief."

With that, Arizona resumed exiting the room. Once clear of the room, she leaned back against a wall and rubbed her temples. Could this day possibly get any worse, she thought.

Unfortunately for Arizona, her bad luck was continuing. A woman with dark blonde hair and sparkling eyes had watched Arizona and Leah in the hallway, then observed the two women apparently arguing in the lounge. An amused smirk crossed the woman's face as she whispered "Later" to herself.

X

After she'd been thrown out of the room, Cristina Yang considered hanging in the hall outside the doctors' lounge to witness the fall out but after a few moments decided against it. Opting to risk food poisoning, she took an elevator down to first floor to see what was available in the cafeteria. Exiting the elevator, she was surprised to see Callie standing there.

"Cal, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought the old ball-and-chain banned you."

"Only from surgery," Callie answered. "I'm here because I had a consult."

Even though Callie felt fine and thought she could still operate, she'd given in to Arizona's request last week to stop performing surgeries. If her wife had had her way, Callie would be at home in bed encased in bubblewrap. Arizona was being overly protective and extremely cautious; she wasn't going to take any chances with this pregnancy. Even though it annoyed the ortho surgeon, she was still touched by the blonde's concern.

"Have you seen Arizona?" Callie inquired.

"Oh, she was watching some surgery, I think. Have you paged her?"

"No, it's not that important. I just wanted to see her before I left."

"See her or _see_ her?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Cal, we all know how you two have been tearing up the on-call rooms," Cristina teased.

"Yeah, well, maybe, but not this time."

"Well that's reason enough for me not to ever want to get pregnant."

"What?"

"Pregnancy messing with my sex life? No thank you."

"Being pregnant has nothing to do with… wait, why am I even having this conversation with you?" Callie said, exasperated.

"I don't know. Does being pregnant affect your memory, too?" the cardio surgeon deadpanned.

"Cristina!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm not supposed to aggravate the crazy pregnant lady. Sorry. Don't tell your wife."

Callie shook her head at her friend's comments and pushed the button for the elevator once more. It was only a few minutes later that she was stepping out onto the pediatric wing of the hospital. She thought she'd try Arizona's office and if her wife wasn't there, she'd send her a text.

As she walked down the hall, she could see the door to Arizona's office was open. She paused in the doorway, taking a good look at her wife. Arizona was sitting at her desk, head down, elbows on her desk and her fingers massaging her temples. The blonde looked tired and stressed. Callie had been so irritated by the return of Boswell she'd never stopped to consider what it was doing to Arizona.

"Arizona?"

The blonde's head snapped up and she immediately smiled when she saw Callie. "Hey," she said softly.

"Rough day?" Callie asked as she moved over behind Arizona and dropped her hands to the blonde's shoulders.

"You could say that," Arizona replied.

Callie felt Arizona tense up beneath her fingers. She waited, not wanting to push her wife. She was clearly troubled by something and Callie now knew to just give Arizona time to work it out in her mind.

"Something happen? Did that McHomewrecker show up already?"

Arizona couldn't help but chuckle at Callie's nickname for Boswell. "No. At least I haven't seen her yet."

"So… what's got you all tense?" Callie asked as she began to knead the tight muscles. "You didn't lose a patient, did you? I thought you weren't operating today."

"I'm not. I didn't." Arizona moaned in relief as Callie's strong fingers hit a knot in her back. "Oh, God, that feels so good, Calliope."

Callie continued to rub Arizona's neck, shoulders and back. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Arizona hesitated. She didn't want to upset Callie, but she didn't want to keep any secrets from her either. Not communicating was what caused them to break up multiple times.

"It's Murphy," she sighed.

"What does she want now?" Callie said, her voice short.

"Well, I'm not operating this week until the surgery with Jackson." Left unsaid was the name of the doctor who would be joining them. "I've been hanging out in the gallery, watching surgeries."

That was nothing new to Callie. She knew that was one of Arizona's favorite haunts when she wanted to clear her head for a big operation. She bent her head and softly kissed the top of Arizona's head.

"Stupid me, I never looked at the board to see who was operating. I just went in." Arizona reached up and squeezed her wife's hand that had stilled. "Murphy was lead on a choley with Grey. For some twisted reason, she thought I was there to watch her."

Callie now felt comfortable enough to prod her wife. "And what happened?"

"She wanted to… thought I'd want to go out with her to celebrate. I finally had it out with her in the lounge. I'm sure you'll hear all about it at some point." Arizona leaned back in her chair and looked up at her wife. "I finally threatened to go to the chief if she didn't leave me alone."

"I cannot wait until she finishes her residency," Callie snapped.

"I know. Thank God she decided on general surgery."

"Yeah, we need to take Meredith out when these residents are out of here. She did us both a huge favor by taking Murphy on."

"Oh, I plan on it. Trust me." Swiveling her chair, Arizona slid an arm around Callie's waist. "What are you doing here? I thought we had an agreement."

"I had a consult and thought I'd stop up before I pick Sofia up at school."

"I'm glad you did," Arizona said, her hand sliding down to caress Callie's ass.

"Arizona!" Callie sounded indignant, but she really didn't mind her wife's wandering hand.

"When do you have to leave? Do you have some time before you go?" Arizona asked hopefully.

"Not enough time for that," Callie flirted. "Maybe we can pick it up later tonight?"

"I'd like that," Arizona replied, gently tugging Callie down for a kiss. "I'd like that a lot."

"Mind your manners, missy," Callie said as she grasped Arizona's hands from wandering any lower.

The Latina stepped back and gave Arizona a chaste kiss. "How late will you be? Will you be home for dinner?"

"I don't know. I'm waiting for Jackson to call me. We're supposed to meet with Boswell once he's free. He got called into surgery a little while ago."

"Give me a call when you're on your way, okay?" Callie asked.

"Of course." Arizona got up from behind her desk and walked her wife to the door. "I love you," she murmured as she nuzzled Callie's neck.

"Love you, too. I'll see you later."

"Count on it."

X

Three hours later, Arizona looked up from her desk to see Jackson Avery with Lauren Boswell standing in her doorway. Jackson looked apologetic, almost anxious as he led the cranio-facial specialist into the room. Arizona gave him a small, understanding smile. She knew she alone (well maybe she had some help from _that _woman) was the cause of the awkwardness that now filled her office.

"Sorry I'm late. Surgery ran a little longer than I expected," he explained.

"No apology necessary, Jackson. We've all been there."

Arizona felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the predatory smile on Boswell's face. How could I not have seen it before, she thought as she stood up.

"Arizona," Lauren said, her voice oozing with what she thought was irresistible charm.

"Dr. Boswell. Thank you for coming. Has Dr. Avery filled you in?"

"Not yet."

"I thought we could reschedule for tomorrow to go over the case," Jackson suggested. "I'd really like to get home for dinner with my wife and daughter."

"Sounds like a really good idea. I'd like to do the same." Arizona reached back for her planner. "Will ten o'clock work?" she asked after reviewing her schedule.

She tried to act as if Boswell wasn't even in the room, but she could feel the woman's eyes on her. She half-expected to hear the woman smack her lips.

"That'll work," Jackson said, checking his phone. "After rounds."

"Good. Then I'll see you then." Arizona's tone was dismissive as she turned her back on the two surgeons. "Give my goddaughter a kiss, would you?"

"You bet," Jackson said with a grin. "Good night, Dr. Robbins, Dr. Boswell."

Arizona heard one set of footsteps leave the room. She didn't want to acknowledge that Boswell was still in the room, but she had no choice.

"Did you need something else, Dr. Boswell?" she asked her tone flat and disinterested as she reached for her coat.

"It's good to see you again, Arizona."

"We appreciate you being able to help us out with this case."

Boswell didn't let Arizona's indifference to her presence deter her. "I thought we could maybe grab a cup of coffee?" she asked as Arizona pushed past her.

Arizona wanted to laugh at the woman. Coffee? She wondered if that was her standard pick up line.

"You thought wrong," the peds surgeon said coldly as headed for the elevators, Boswell following her.

"Or since it's late, maybe dinner would be better. We could go out." Lauren lowered her voice into her best seductive tone. "Or we could order room service. I'm staying at the Archfield."

"No, thank you. I have plans with my wife."

Lauren smirked as she recalled the scene she'd witnessed earlier in the day. From what she'd seen, Arizona was enmeshed in another rocky relationship.

"Plans? Really? Sure about that?" she asked as she stepped into the elevator with Arizona.

Arizona couldn't believe how persistent the other woman was being, and she was getting tired of it. No, she wasn't just tired by it all, she was angered by it.

"Hold the door," a voice called out.

Relieved, Arizona held the door as Cristina Yang slipped into the elevator and took a spot in the back.

"C'mon, Arizona, we – " Lauren started up again.

"It's Doctor Robbins," she interrupted, her voice curt.

Lauren was a little taken aback by the peds surgeon's tone, but she plowed on nonetheless. Giving up wasn't in her playbook. If it was, she never would've been so successful with the ladies. "_Doctor_ Robbins, huh? I can work with that," she said, mustering up her best come-hither look and voice.

"Enough!" Arizona snapped. "What is wrong with you?"

Cristina Yang's eyes widened in surprise, and anticipation. The two women in front of her had seemingly forgotten she was in the elevator with them.

"What do you mean?" Boswell asked ignoring Arizona's obvious irritation.

"What part of 'I have plans with my wife' don't you get? I'm married, so just stop it."

"Well, you were married four years ago and that didn't stop us."

"Yeah, well, four years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life," Arizona fired back. "I've never regretted anything more."

"You don't mean that," Lauren protested.

"I do, and I would appreciate it if you'd just stop with the flirting and the suggestive remarks and the coy little smiles."

"Why else would you bring me here?"

"For a patient, no other reason." Arizona turned to face Lauren. "You weren't even our first choice, do you get that? You are only here because we ran out of options; no other reason. If we could, we would've waited until another surgeon was available. But we can't wait. The _patient_ can't wait."

"You really expect me to believe that?"

Cristina wished she had a bag of popcorn. She knew that look on Arizona's face. Her friend had reached her limit and was going to go off on one of her infamous rants. Yeah, this was going to be good; epic even.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Arizona said angrily. "What do I have to do to make you understand? Do I need to get a brick and hit you alongside your head? Are you that dense?" She took a deep breath before continuing. "God! What IS it with you women not respecting me or my marriage enough to back the FUCK OFF?"

Cristina's eyebrows shot up. She'd never heard Arizona swear. Sure, there were a few times she _thought_ she'd heard the blonde drop the "F" bomb behind Callie's bedroom door, but that was different. The cardio surgeon decided she rather enjoyed the 'badass' Robbins.

Boswell took a step back, surprised at the vehemence in Arizona's voice. She raised her hands in mock self-defense. "Backing off, okay?"

"Just stay away from me unless it's related to the case," Arizona said when the elevators opened.

She calmly exited the elevator. Cristina quickly pushed off from the back wall of the elevator. As she passed by Boswell, she accidently-on-purpose bumped the woman on the way out.

"You heard her, Bitchwell. Don't think we won't be keeping an eye on you," Cristina said simply, her her intention clear.

She left the stunned cranio-facial specialist behind as she trotted off to catch up with Arizona. She thought what the blonde had said was badass, but she also knew that it was the last thing Arizona needed to hear. She fell silently into step beside her friend as they headed for the employee parking lot.

"Y'know, Robbins, I think I missed out."

"What?" Arizona asked, confused with Cristina's statement.

"Maybe I should've jumped on the 'A' train when we were both single," she continued. "If all these women are still chasing after you years later, I must've missed out," she said with a straight face.

Arizona stopped dead in her tracks, looked at Cristina carefully before she snorted out a laugh.

"I'm serious, Robbins. You must have some seriously mad skills or something."

Arizona couldn't hold back anymore as she burst out laughing. "Thank you, Cristina," she said. "I needed that."

"Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she unlocked her car.

"Goodnight, Yang."

As Arizona finished the walk to her car, Cristina pulled up beside her and unrolled the window.

"Should I circle the lot to see if I can find Erica Hahn?" she asked with a completely straight face.

"What?"

"Well, since you're being all badass on exes today, I thought you could go for the trifecta and give her the smackdown she needed."

"Oh, no, I don't think so. She's Callie's ex. It's up to her to smack Erica Hahn down."

"I suppose so. Later."

Arizona chuckled to herself as she climbed into the car. Leave it up to Yang to make her laugh.

Even though Callie had repeatedly complained when Arizona had demanded that Callie reduce her hours at the hospital, she found that she was enjoying being home when Sofia came home from school. As it was, she hoped the extra one-on-one time with Sofia now would help offset the diminished time once the new baby came. And tonight, Callie really appreciated the distraction of spending time with Sofia. Not that Sofia was a distraction; Sofia was anything but that. It was just knowing that Arizona was meeting with_ that woman_ at the hospital was causing the Latina to become stressed. She kept watching the clock and checking her phone, hoping that Arizona would call soon.

"Mommy, can we have dinner now? I'm hungry."

"Sure, sweetie. It looks like Momma is going to be late tonight."

Callie quickly threw together a supper of grilled cheese and soup for the two of them, but she'd lost her appetite.

"Is the baby making you sick again, Mommy?" Sofia asked when she saw that Callie hadn't eaten anything.

"No, no, I'm just not hungry right now. I'll eat when Momma comes home."

"Do you think she'll be home soon? I want to show her my turkey." Sofia's class had made paper turkeys by tracing their hands and then coloring them. Callie remembered doing the same thing when she'd been a child and was pleased that some things still hadn't changed.

"I don't know, Sofia. But if she doesn't get home before your bedtime, you can show it to her in the morning."

"I think she'll like it. Maybe she can take it to work with her."

"I'm sure she'd like that."

"When does Aunt Teddy get here?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. You and I are going to go the airport and pick her up after you get out of school."

"Yay! I like Aunt Teddy. I wish she didn't live so far away."

"Me, too."

Callie, to this day, often wondered if Teddy hadn't left Seattle when she did if she and Arizona would've had all the problems that they'd had. Surely Teddy would've kicked Arizona's ass before her wife could have ever entered that on-call room. Callie sighed to herself and decided there was no point in thinking about it anymore.

The sound of the garage door opening let them know that Arizona was home. Sofia jumped up from the table.

"Momma's home!"

A few minutes later, Arizona stepped into the kitchen. Callie studied her wife's face, trying to gauge her mood. She seemed happy as she scooped Sofia up into her arms, blowing a raspberry on the girl's cheek despite the giggling screams of protest that came from Sofia.

"Hey, squirt," Arizona said. "How was school?" she asked as she set Sofia back down.

"Great! I have a turkey for you for work," the young girl replied excitedly.

"You do? Where am I going to put a turkey? Won't it make a mess and be too noisy?"

"A paper turkey, Momma. Don't be so silly." She darted from the room, yelling back to them, "I'm gonna get it for you."

"Hey," Arizona said, greeting her wife with a kiss, then she placed her hand on Callie's abdomen. "And hello to you, baby," she whispered, rubbing her hand tenderly.

Callie wanted to melt every single time Arizona talked to the baby. She leaned into her wife and since they had a Sofia-free moment, soundly returned the kiss.

"Mmmm," Arizona murmured, smiling into the kiss. "I like they way you say hello when I come home."

"I like it when you come home to me."

Their private moment was interrupted when Sofia burst back into the room.

"Here, Momma. Here's the turkey I made you."

Arizona sat down at the kitchen table, her leg too sore and tired for her to squat down. She picked Sofia up and placed her daughter onto her lap.

"You made this for me?"

"Uh huh," Sofia said, nodding.

"Did you make this all by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Wow, this is really great, Sofia. It's the best turkey I've ever seen. Can I take it to work with me tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Sofia beamed with pride. "Will you hang it up?"

"It'll be the first thing I do when I go to work tomorrow. I promise."

Callie hated to be the one to break up the mother-daughter moment, but she knew Arizona must be hungry. "Sofia, get down so Momma and I can eat," she said gently.

"What's for dinner?" Arizona asked.

"Sofia had grilled cheese and soup, but I can fix us something else."

"That's fine."

"How was work?" Callie asked as she turned her back to her wife as she stirred the soup, then started to fix Arizona a sandwich while she reheated her own. She didn't need to specify what, or rather _who_, she was talking about.

"Okay." Hearing the tone in Callie's voice, she explained, "I'll tell you about it later, after Sofia goes to bed."

After Sofia was in bed, the two women went into the family room. It had become a ritual for them; spending an hour or so in the evening, sharing a glass of wine and discussing their days. With Callie's pregnancy, her glass of wine had become a glass of milk. Arizona had offered to give up wine, but Callie had insisted that she have it. She knew Arizona often needed to unwind with a glass of wine after dinner.

"So, did you see her?" Callie asked once they'd settled onto the couch.

"Yep," Arizona replied, sipping from her glass.

"And?"

"She hasn't changed a bit," Arizona commented, her face crinkling with distaste as she recalled seeing Boswell again. Arizona took a larger sip of wine. "I told her off, and God, it was great!" she said, a smile breaking out on her face. It was the first real smile Callie had seen on her wife's face since they'd found out that Boswell was going to be back at Grey-Sloan.

"Oh, really? What did you say?"

"I can't remember it exactly. I may have used the 'F' word, and there was mention of a brick," Arizona said laughing.

"Arizona, you didn't."

"I did," she said proudly. "It was glorious. I'm sure you'll hear all about it at work."

"You had quite the day, didn't you? Getting to tell off _two_ women."

"Yeah, my day started out pretty crappy, but it ended pretty damned well." She set her wine glass on the coaster.

"Well, let's hope both of them got the message to stay away from my wife."

"They did, but you may have to worry about Yang," Arizona replied, her grin teasing and full of mischief.

"Cristina? Why?"

"I think she propositioned me in the parking lot."

"What?" Callie was incredulous. "Yang?"

"Relax, she was just trying to make me laugh." Arizona scooted closer to her wife and put her arm around her.

"Did it work?"

"Yes, I laughed out loud."

"Y'know, the two of you have the oddest friendship," Callie said, snuggling closer to her wife. "I sometimes wonder about you."

"Cristina has been a good friend to both of us. Her sense of humor is…"

"Dark and twisted?"

"I was going to say refreshing."

"I can't believe she propositioned you," Callie huffed.

"She didn't really. Not in so many words anyway."

"She'd better not have. I've got enough trouble keeping those two women away from you."

"You have nothing to worry about, Calliope," Arizona said, kissing the top of her head. "My heart and my body belong to you, and only you."

Callie squeezed the body next to hers. "Good." She remained silent for a moment, just basking in the closeness she felt with her wife. "So, your body belongs to me, huh?" she asked with a flirty grin.

"Of course."

"Does that mean I can do whatever I want with it?"

"Within reason," Arizona said with a smirk. "Whattya have in mind?"

"Why don't I show you instead," Callie replied, her body pressing into Arizona's as she began to kiss her.

"I like the way you think, Dr. Torres," Arizona said, kissing her back.


	5. Family & Friends II

**November 24****th****, 2017 Thanksgiving Day**

**Family & Friends Part 2**

For two days, Lauren Boswell bided her time. She ceded to Arizona's wishes and kept her distance, their only interactions revolving around the patient. She didn't, however, curb her interest in the peds surgeon. She quietly, and sometimes stealthily, kept an eye on her. It didn't go unnoticed to her watchful gaze that Arizona and her wife were still not on speaking terms. The two women went out of their way to avoid each other.

The cranio-facial specialist admitted to being surprised that Arizona had re-married. Married to a resident, no less; a resident that Lauren wholeheartedly believed to be no match for the peds surgeon. When she first got the call that she was needed at Grey-Sloan, the first thing she'd done was google the blonde. Interestingly enough, she could hardly find any personal information on her, unlike four years ago. It appeared that the only personal tidbit about Arizona was that she was married to another doctor at the hospital. That was it. No name, no other information was available.

Today was the day Lauren would make her move. Her return flight had been cancelled because of the bad weather back East so it gave her at least another twenty-four hours to work on getting with Arizona. She knew the peds surgeon had the day off, but Lauren had overheard a nurse talking about how Dr. Robbins would be in to check on her patient. Everything was lining up perfectly, she thought.

Lauren set the patient's chart back down on the counter and with a cocky smile, turned in the direction of Arizona's office. She stopped when the elevator doors opened and Arizona's ex-wife, a pregnant Dr. Torres exited, accompanied by a small child and a tall, slender blonde. She was a little stunned to see Dr. Torres; Lauren hadn't seen her once since she'd arrived four days ago. Clearly the ex-wife had moved on with another woman. Lauren was a little baffled to see the woman and wondered what kind of relationship she had with Arizona. Maybe having her here would push Arizona into a more vulnerable state. An upset, possibly emotional, Arizona? She'd be ripe for the picking, the cranio-facial specialist gleefully thought.

The small girl ran ahead of the two women, heading straight for Arizona's office. Before she reached the door, the peds surgeon stepped out into the hall.

"Momma!" the young girl said, wrapping her arms around Arizona's legs.

"Hey, Sofia," Arizona greeted her daughter, sweeping her up into her arms and giving her a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to get you for dinner."

"That's great because I'm really hungry. Are you?"

"Yes. Zola said there would be punkin pie with whipped cream for dessert."

"She is so your kid, Arizona," Teddy said as she and Callie joined them. "Dessert before dinner."

A confused Lauren Boswell watched the scene unfold in front of her. Her confusion soon turned to acute disappointment as she watched Arizona greet Callie with a more than friendly kiss. Wait, was Arizona still married to Callie? Lauren wondered with dismay. Ex-wives do not kiss each other like that… and did I just see Arizona rubbing Torres' belly? Lauren couldn't believe she'd so misread a situation.

"I just need to get my coat and lock up and then we can go," Arizona said.

"Did you hang my turkey, Momma?" Sofia asked.

"I did," the blonde said, taking Sofia's hand. "Do you want to see it?"

"Yes."

Arizona led Sofia into her office while Callie and Teddy waited in the hall.

"So, how weird does it feel to be back in the hospital?" Callie asked Teddy.

"Very weird," Teddy replied. "There have been a lot of changes."

Even though Teddy had come back several times to Seattle to visit, she'd never gone back to the hospital. Her visits had always been either too short, or the Robbins-Torres clan had her schedule full of non-stop activities outside of the hospital.

"We miss you here, Teddy. And as a board member, I can tell you that there will be an opening for head of cardio next year."

"What about Yang?"

"She doesn't want to head the department. She just wants to cut."

It was then that the two women noticed Lauren Boswell standing by the nurses' station, a stunned look on her face. Callie's eyes narrowed as she glared at the cranio-facial specialist. Her stare, the one that still struck fear in residents and interns alike, remained locked on the other woman until Boswell finally looked away.

"Who's that?" Teddy asked.

"That's_ her_."

"Her?"

"Boswell, Lauren Boswell," Callie hissed.

"Oh, _her_. The one that…"

"Yes, she's the one."

"Do you want me to stare her down, too?" Teddy offered. "Maybe if we both stare hard enough at her she'll burst into flames."

Callie turned to Teddy and saw that she was teasing. She couldn't help but laugh at Teddy's suggestion.

"Thanks, Teddy."

"I may be skinny, but I'm strong. I'm Army strong. I could take her."

It was then that Arizona and Sofia left Arizona's office and found the two women laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Teddy was just trying to tell me how tough she is."

"Tough? Hardly," Arizona scoffed. "I could still whip your behind even with one leg off," Arizona bragged.

Teddy and Callie's mouths both dropped in shock at Arizona's statement, then another burst of laughter erupted from them.

"Let's get out of here," Arizona said, taking Callie's hand. "I'm so ready for a big dinner."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Many of Arizona's friends were under the impression that she liked a controlled environment, that she disliked disorder. Sure, she liked a tidy office, and she truly loathed clutter, but the chaos that was happening in front of her? She loved it. She reveled in it. It was life and she loved every moment, every action that she was seeing.

Callie was struggling to help Meredith keep the mashed potatoes from becoming a disaster. Cristina was perched on a stool, drink in hand, offering advice in her best Yang-like snarky manner. Derek, Ben and Owen were discussing the best way to carve the turkey, but sounding more like they were preparing for a major surgery. April and Jo were chasing after their toddlers who were attempting to pull the tablecloth off the large table. Miranda was watching football with Alex and Jackson, her loud cheers startling Arizona. Tucker was leading Sofia, Zola and little Bailey through the house in some game they'd made up, their laughter echoing off the walls.

Arizona sighed contentedly, as if to inhale the life that was flowing through the house. She loved these people, her friends and now her family. She wouldn't trade her life for anything.

She felt a bump to her hip and turned to see Teddy standing beside her, a glass of wine in each hand.

"Is it always this crazy?" Teddy asked as she handed her friend a glass of white wine.

"Yes," Arizona replied happily. "Isn't it great?"

"I suppose, if you call great being chased out of the kitchen by a pregnant woman with a potato masher in her hand."

Arizona laughed at her friend.

"She actually threatened me, Arizona!"

"You should know better by now, Teddy. I'm surprised she hasn't kicked them all out of the kitchen," she chuckled.

"It's a madhouse."

"It'll calm down when dinner is served."

A large shout came from the family room, followed by two groans. The two women looked over to see Bailey standing in front of Alex and Jackson, demanding to be paid. Apparently the general surgeon had won a bet.

"Well, that's something that I thought I'd never see," Teddy said. "I didn't even know Miranda Bailey liked football."

"Those two should just stop betting. Miranda always, _always_ wins," Arizona said, taking a sip from her glass.

"It's good to see you happy," Teddy said after a few minutes of silence passed between the friends.

"I am," she said simply.

Her daughter safely corralled in her arms, April joined the two women. Arizona immediately took her namesake into her arms.

"You're getting to be quite the handful, aren't you, Robbie?" Arizona asked kissing the young girl's cheek. Like Derek and Meredith's son, Harper Robbins Avery went by her middle name.

"I blame it on Alex's son," April said with a smile.

"Alyex!" Robbie exclaimed, hearing her friend's name. She turned her head, looking around for the little boy.

"Should we be penciling a wedding for those two in about twenty years?" Teddy asked.

"Don't even…" April groaned as Teddy and Arizona laughed.

Arizona handed Robbie back to her mother.

"Is Sofia in the pageant this year?" April asked as she shifted her daughter from one hip to the other.

"No, maybe next year. She's in the cherub choir."

Arizona cringed as she thought about how badly Sofia sang. Her daughter clearly hadn't inherited her mother's vocal abilities. The peds surgeon was not looking forward to hearing Sofia practice singing Christmas carols off-key and loudly.

"Pageant? What pageant?" a confused Teddy asked.

"The Christmas pageant at church," April explained.

"Church?" Teddy's mouth dropped open. "You go to church?"

"Sometimes," Arizona replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's mostly just Callie and Sofia."

"When did that happen?"

"Oh, Callie and I had a long talk about it last year. Faith is important to her, and we thought we'd expose Sofia to it, let her make up her own mind."

"That's um… very open-minded of you," Teddy stammered.

"It's not so bad, and we've met some really great people."

Before Teddy could say anything else, Meredith called everyone to the table for dinner. Within minutes, high chairs were holding the toddlers, little Bailey was in his booster seat, and the rest of the guests were seated around the table. No one bothered to say grace, but Arizona noticed her wife bow her head. The blonde reached over and grabbed Callie's hand, sharing the private moment with her. Maybe she wasn't praying along with her wife, but Arizona was still giving thanks for all that she had in her life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In a nearly empty Emerald City Bar, two women sat and drank, both lost in their own thoughts of what might have been. At one end of the bar, a fifth-year resident mourned the end of her dream of being with Arizona; it had ended with a resounding head on collision with reality. At the other end of the bar, a cranio-facial surgeon contemplated how vastly different this visit to Seattle was compared to her last time.

Their eyes met, and each raised their glass to the other in commiseration.


End file.
